Smooch 1Jack Nicholson has recently been talking of a decline in his once-infamous libido. His natural gallantry hasn't suffered, and he was quick to congratulate Nicole Kidman on her best dramatic actress award. His own gong, for best dramatic actor, was a surprise: "I thought we made a comedy," he saidPhoto: AP/ Chris Haston

Smooch 2Meanwhile, Richard Gere got to grips with Chicago co-star Renee Zellweger. The pair won best actor and actress in a musical or comedyPhoto: AP/ Reed Saxon

Smooch 3Pedro Almodovar was congratulated by Cate Blanchett for his best foreign picture award. That his much-acclaimed opus Talk to Her picked up a Globe will come as some consolation: it hasn't been entered for an OscarPhoto: AP/ Reed Saxon

Smooch 4Billy Elliott director Stephen Daldry enjoys a clinch with Nicole Kidman (won't anyone leave the woman alone?). His film The Hours came away well - Nicole won best actress and the film bagged best picture. But best director went to Martin ScorsesePhoto: AP/ Reed Saxon

The winnersThe producer of The Hours, Scott Rudin, picks up the best drama award, flanked by the picture's stars: Kidman, Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep, who won best supporting actress for Adaptation. For her part, Nicole looks glad to be given a breather.Photo: AP/ Chris Haston

Martin ScorseseThe veteran film-maker picked up the best director award for the sprawling epic Gangs of New York, though some commentators suggest the film doesn't itself merit the award and is being used as a peg on which to hang Scorsese's earlier achievements.Photo: AP/ Chris Haston

Gracious loser 1Daniel Day-Lewis was widely tipped for best actor for his role in Scorsese's Gangs of New York. He left empty-handed, but as a man who prefers the life of a cobbler, he's unlikely to be heartbrokenPhoto: AP/ Kim D Johnson

Gracious loser 2Michael Caine was also in the running best actor with an agile performance in the Graham Greene adaptation The Quiet AmericanPhoto: AP/ Mark J Terrill

Gratuitous frocks section

There's always oneLara Flynn Boyle turned up for the awards ceremony dressed as ... Tinkerbell? A ballerina? Or is she merely auditioning for the remake of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?Photo: AP/ Mark J Terrill

Salma Hayek and Ed NortonThe Mexican actor wowed the crowd - and, from the dazed look on his face, her escort - with this frankly improbable creation. We didn't do anything to this picture. It's just the way we got it. This isn't GQ, you know. Incidentally, Salma's biopic of Frida Kahlo did pick up an award, for best original scorePhoto: AP/ Mark J Terrill

Beyonce KnowlesThe singer-turned-actor offers photographers a shot of her rocks. We trust that, notwithstanding this ostentation, she is and remains Beyonce from the blockPhoto: AP/ Mark J Terrill

Halle BerryLast year, Halle won the Oscar for her powerful and anguished role in Monster's Ball, and famously broke down during her acceptance speech. This year her CV boasts the more flippant delights of Die Another Day, so she can afford to be a little more cheeryPhoto: AP/ Mark J Terrill

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew BroderickWe understand that Ms Parker is held as something of a fashion bellwether. Ladies, then, can look forward to bodices and sheer shoulder straps. Gents, meanwhile, should sport week-old beards and boyish grins. But then you wouldPhoto: AP/ Kim D Johnson